What is it about a job search that takes the wind out of a person’s sails?

It should feel like an opportunity to meet new people, to talk about the future, to consider working in new places. Why does it feel instead like tying weights to your feet before running a marathon?

In truth, I have met a number of people over the years who enjoy this process. But as a percentage of the overall group of job seekers, it hasn’t been many. And somehow, it seems, my midcareer job seekers are even less prone to enthusiasm for the prospect of gaining new employment. I suppose by the time we hit our 40s and 50s, we’re just that much more aware of how badly things can turn out.